John Donovan Jr.
John Donovan Jr., was born July 28, 1854, at Easton, Talbot County, Maryland, the son of John Donovan, Sr., and Evelina M. Robinson. He attended the schools of Easton and Baltimore, Maryland, and was brought by his family to St. Joseph in 1868 when he was fourteen years of age. His first job in St. Joseph was that of errand boy for the shoe store of William T. Stone. He then became a clerk for the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad Company. After that, he was employed by the contracting firm of Hastings & Saxton, buying ties and other equipment for the construction of the St. Joseph & Denver City Railroad, later known as the St. Joseph & Grand Island. Following that he was associated with the Kansas Land & Town Company, establishing and laying out towns along the railroad line. In the spring of 1871 he entered business for himself, buying cattle in northwestern Missouri, and driving them to Maryville for sale to the farmers. In May 1871 he joined the staff of the State National Bank in St. Joseph. He was seventeen and his first job was that of messenger. He remained in the bank ten years, leaving to take over management of a cattle company in Texas owned by St. Joseph men. That company was liquidated in the fall of 1881 and Mr. Donovan then bought the land in South Saint Joseph on which the stockyards and packing plants were later to stand. The land was level and in parts swampy. The first steps in the reclamation were ditching and draining. Mr. Donovan was a moving spirit in the organization of the St. Joseph Stock Yards Company in 1884. The directors were Mr. Donovan, C. B. France, Henry Krug, Samuel Nave, and J. D. McNeely. Mr. France was president of the Company and supervised the building of the yards on the 440-acre tract of land. Charles Cameron was general manager. In 1887 John Donovan was one of the organizers of the German-American Bank and served as its first president, until July 1, 1893. After that date, he took charge of the Stock Yards as general manager and was successful in inducing several of the Chicago packing companies, Swift, Armour, Morris, Hammond, and Moran, to erect their most modern plants in St. Joseph. The Livestock Exchange Building was completed in 1900. Mr. Donovan was one of the most active business leaders in St. Joseph. He was president of the St. Joseph Railway, Light & Power Company, and promoter of the Union Terminal Railway serving the packing plants. He was a director of the St. Joseph and Savannah Interurban Railroad Company and active in real estate operations. He built the building of the Horigan Supply Company on South Fourth Street, and with William E. Spratt purchased the Ballinger Building at Seventh and Edmond Streets. He never lost his keen interest in livestock and at his country residence near the present site of the St. Joseph Country Club he operated the King Hill Stock Farm, raising fine horses and cattle. Mr. Donovan was interested in military affairs and was a major in the Missouri National Guard. He was appointed police commissioner of St. Joseph in 1887 and he personally drilled the force in military tactics. In 1907 and 1908 he succeeded in having St. Joseph made the scene of military tournaments to which soldiers were brought from the entire Middle West. On December 28, 1908, the businessmen of St. Joseph presented to John Donovan a large silver cup in a public ceremony before four thousand persons at the Auditorium. That cup can now be seen at the St. Joseph Public Library. His marriage to Miss Emma C. Patee, granddaughter of John Patee, took place on October 5, 1875. They had one daughter, Emma. Mrs. Donovan died December 7, 1909, and the next year Mr. Donovan married Miss Elizabeth A. Tracy of Weymouth, Massachusetts. The Donovans lived at 508 North Fifth Street where Mr. Donovan died on November 18, 1913. The press wrote: John Donovan was direct, emphatic, and positive in nature, placing true estimates on men and affairs, and never seeking public plaudits. He was well content with that splendid reserve of resources and ability which made him master of every situation. To him is given a great share of and credit for the prosperity of St. Joseph. Few men are held in higher esteem by their fellow-citizens than Colonel John Donovan.' Miss Emma Donovan was married in 1904 to Captain Douglas McCaskey, U.S. Army. Their sons were John and William McCaskey.